Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images (WASHINGTON) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is defending his lagging poll numbers behind front-runner Donald Trump early in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. DeSantis, who easily won reelection last year and became one of his party's most recognizable faces, has been pressed about his standing in the primary field during multiple interviews in recent days. While he maintains he didn't expect immediate success when he announced his White House bid, in May, he's also brushed off his second-place performance so far as a media concoction.

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